Désiré-Joseph Mercier
Désiré Félicien François Joseph Mercier (21 November 1851 – 23 January 1926) was a Belgian cardinal of the Catholic Church and a noted scholar. A Thomist scholar, he had several of his works translated into other European languages. He was known for his book, Les origines de la psychologie contemporaine (1897). His scholarship gained him recognition from the Pope and he was appointed as Archbishop of Mechelen (Malines), serving from 1906 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1907.
Désiré-Joseph Mercier | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal Archbishop of Mechelen Primate of Belgium | |
Mercier in 1915 | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Mechelen |
| See | Mechelen |
| Appointed | 21 February 1906 |
| Term ended | 23 January 1926 |
| Predecessor | Pierre-Lambert Goosens |
| Successor | Jozef-Ernest van Roey |
| Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of San Pietro in Vincoli (1907-26) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 4 April 1874 by Giacomo Cattani |
| Consecration | 25 March 1906 by Antonio Vico |
| Created cardinal | 15 April 1907 by Pope Pius X |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Désiré Félicien François Joseph Mercier 21 November 1851 |
| Died | 23 January 1926 (aged 74) Brussels, Belgium |
| Buried | Saint Rumbold's Cathedral |
| Parents | Paul-Léon Mercier Anne-Marie Barbe Croquet |
| Motto | Apostolus Jesu Christi ("Apostle of Jesus Christ") |
| Coat of arms | |
Mercier is noted for his staunch resistance to the German occupation of 1914–1918 during the Great War.
| Styles of Désiré-Joseph Mercier | |
|---|---|
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Mechelen |
After the invasion, he distributed a strong pastoral letter, Patriotism and Endurance, to be read in all his churches, urging the people to keep up their spirits. He served as a model of resistance.